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"The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people."
Cesar Chavez

Local 58 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has almost 20 percent of its 5,000-plus workforce drawing unemployment, a spokesman said, leaving about 1,000 licensed electricians seeking work from the union's job list each day.

A call to the Detroit Plumbers Local 98 office illustrates the unemployment turmoil: Between the on-hold music, a voice reminds out-of-work plumbers to re-register for unemployment benefits each month if they're still looking for a job.